Many states have reciprocity for pilot car certification with other states. Using various department of transportation websites and private contacts, UTCA compiled Table 3 listing states that require certification and further listing the other states with which they have reciprocity. New York and Virginia do not accept any other certifications. Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, and Washington certifications are accepted in all states requiring a certification (with the exclusion of New York and Virginia).
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Table 3: Certification Reciprocity
State Acceptable Certifications
Arizona Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Washington Colorado Florida, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington
Florida Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin
Kansas All other states
New York None
North Carolina
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, Washington
Oklahoma Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Washington Oregon
Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington
Utah Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Washington Virginia None
Washington Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah
Considering Florida’s large reciprocity, close physical relation with Alabama, and the program’s structure of using Florida University’s Florida Transportation Technology Center to manage the program, ALDOT and UTCA decided to use Florida’s certification program as a basis for Alabama’s. The format and verbiage of the two programs will be very similar, along with the structure of the class and the course examinations. This similarity should minimize confusion for instructors and students who may cross state lines.
4.3. Course Logistics
To provide the best training to the participants, ALDOT and UTCA developed guidelines for the implementation of the certification program. Training will consist of an eight-hour (one day) training course, and a minimum score of 80% on a written exam will be required to pass the course. Certification is proposed to be good for four years, and participants will be given a wallet card as proof of certification. Course logistics are described in the following sections.
25 4.3.1. Course Instructors
ALDOT and UTCA agreed that Alabama State Troopers are logical instructors for the course. They are already trained in safety and often have knowledge and experience with pilot car escorting. Currently, state troopers and escorts usually do not interact unless accidents occur or troopers hand out punishment for not obeying the law. Too often when the state troopers are involved with oversized vehicles, it is too late to prevent loss of money, time, or even life. The certification course can offer a bridge between the escort drivers and law enforcement. The troopers will also offer knowledge of current rules and regulations that a civilian instructor may not have. As part of its work, UTCA will execute individual contracts with Alabama State Troopers to teach the initial set of pilot car driver certification courses.
4.3.2. Course Availability
UTCA proposes teaching the first classes bi-monthly (six time a year) unless a need to increase or decrease the occurrence is observed. The bi-monthly spacing will allow for
certification to be obtained relatively quickly, but not overburden the budget with recurring costs. Consideration should be given to the instructors and participants in regard to travel times. Courses should not be taught on holidays. The course should be offered on varying days of the week (including Saturday if possible) to allow for convenient scheduling.
4.3.3. Course Location
The Alabama Department of Transportation consists of nine divisions. Each division has conference rooms that can be utilized as class rooms. Due to the well-spaced locations of each division office, UTCA proposes to use these offices as classroom locations. UTCA recommends use of the centrally located divisions until a need is shown to use more remote divisions.
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Division 3 (Birmingham) and Division 6 (Montgomery) are ideally located centrally in the state. When considering holding a course in south Alabama, consideration should be given to the availability and location of Florida pilot escort certification courses. UTCA should coordinate with the University of Florida’s Transportation Technology Transfer Center on whether to offer simultaneous course dates or not.
4.3.4. Class Size
To maintain feasibility and maintain the quality of teacher-participant interaction, UTCA recommends a class size of 10-30 participants. The minimum of ten participants will allow the course to be self-sufficient. More than 30 participants could potentially be intimidating for participants and cause classroom management to be difficult. The course is designed to be interactive, and this size allows for optimal interaction.
4.3.5. Budget
A fee will be charged a fee for certification. The fee should be set to allow the program to be self-sufficient and should cover costs such as instructor’s fees, class room rental (if
applicable), production of student manuals, class room supplies, and testing materials. Other costs such as wallet card production, website maintenance, and administration support should also be included in the fee. Initial costs such as a laptop computer, projector, and projection screen should be considered as costs. This fee should also be set to be competitive with other programs.
4.3.6 Proof of Certification
To enforce certification requirement, a proof of certification must be carried by drivers. UTCA recommends that wallet cards be provided to all certified drivers. The card should include
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name, date of birth, individual certification number, expiration date of certification, and a contact number for the Alabama Department of Transportation Permit Office. The wallet card should be made of a durable material or be laminated to prevent damage. Replacement cards should be available for the amount of production costs.
4.3.7. Course Evaluation
At the completion of each course, participants will be asked to complete an evaluation of the course. This evaluation will ask the participant to rate details such as classroom location, beginning and end time of course, session lengths, course material, instructor’s performance and knowledge, and registrations process. The evaluations will be reviewed by UTCA staff, and appropriate actions will take place to improve the program. The evaluations will be anonymous, and participants will be asked to complete them after the examination.